


Hell on Wheels

by Elementhyde



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Pre-Canon, hell on wheels, yeehawgust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26194402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elementhyde/pseuds/Elementhyde
Summary: Hosea takes young Arthur out on one of his first scouting missions as part of the gang, they run through an old Hell on Wheels town and things quickly head south. This is a prompt from yeehawgust 2020 and will no be continued.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Hell on Wheels

“I think I see some lights up there on the road!” Arthur called out, excitedly.

They had been on the road for a few days and, despite it meaning he had gotten out of his chores, he was getting restless on the endless trek.

Hosea had thought it was about time for Arthur to get in on the plans now that he had turned twenty. In retrospect, now he wasn’t sure if this had been a mistake. The kid was a hard worker, but god forbid if he didn’t have something to do.

The sun had set a couple hours earlier and they hadn’t seen another soul since then. The temperature had dropped dramatically since the sun had gone down, but Hosea had insisted they push on, much to Arthur’s dismay.

“We should be coming up on Deadwood soon.” Hosea said. “We can stop there.” He pressed his heels into the horse’s side and pushed on.

“Deadwood? What’s that?” Arthur asked, following after him.

“You ain’t ever heard of Deadwood? Yeah...I guess you would have been a bit too young to remember the stories. It was a town that popped up when they found gold in the Black Hills.”

“There’s gold out here?” Arthur asked, his excitement building again.

“Yeah, maybe if you’re lucky you’ll stumble upon some and strike it rich.” Hosea smirked.

“You think?” Arthur spurred the old mare, galloping to catch up.

“No, Arthur.” Hosea sighed. “Not unless you want to go and work in some other fool’s mine. Even so, you won’t be getting any gold from those hills.” He heard Arthur groan, but he didn’t speak anymore about it. They continued on into town in silence, Hosea occasionally glancing over to check on the young man.

He had grown up so fast the last couple years, Hosea had a hard time imagining that the man next to him had been that scrawny street urchin only a few years back. For one, he had gotten tall. Hosea had floated the joke about Arthur passing Dutch in height a few weeks back and it hadn’t gone over well. The kid also ate like a horse, which was to be expected, but it had been a long time since either Dutch or Hosea had been a boy and it had come as more of a shock to them than the ladies.

“He is a growing boy.” Bessie had pointed out one night after they had taken him in. Gently reminding Hosea that it wasn’t the boy’s fault, he couldn’t help his hunger any more than he was able to help his height.

“I know.” Hosea said, resigned, lacing his fingers between hers. “You ever think we would be parents?”

Her laugh was light and airy, she squeezed his hand gently. “Can’t say that this was how I envisioned it.” She laid her head against his shoulder, staring into the fire. “But I can’t imagine it any other way now.”

They had made the outskirts of the town, the cluster of tents were alive with reverie and music. The sounds of rail workers singing carried through the crisp fall air.

So the railroad is heading here next?

They continued into town, passing down the main stretch of road, Hosea slowing Hollyhock as they passed the saloon. “You get any better at cards?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “You were always cheating.”

“Prove it.” Hosea laughed. “How about you head in there and see if you can stir anything up. I’m going to head down the street and see what else I can find.”

Arthur pulled back on the reigns turning his old mare off to in front of the saloon and jumped down. “You comin’ back this way, or should we meet somewhere?’

“I’ll be back a little later, don’t start anything.” Hosea warned.

“I won’t!” Arthur called over his shoulder, waving him away.

He pushed through the saloon doors, a number of patrons glanced up momentarily at the newcomer before returning to their drinks and conversation. He surveyed the room, seeing a lively game of blackjack in the corner as well as a group playing five finger fillet near the back of the bar.

Sauntering over to the bar and leaned heavily against the wood, knocking his knuckles on the bar to get the barkeep’s attention.

“Could I get a whiskey?”

The bartender glanced quickly at Arthur, before gesturing politely to the patron in front of him.

“A dollar.” The bartender grumbled, placing the glass roughly on the bar, he filled it.

“A dollar?! Shit, just leave the bottle.” He shelled out a handful of coins from his satchel and dropped them onto the bar.

The man behind the bar scowled and left the bottle, sweeping the coins up as he left. Arthur tipped his hat cheekily at him and threw back the shot before grabbing the bottle from the bar and pushing back into the crowded room.

He lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a long swig from it, the whiskey burned his throat, settling into his stomach. The warmth spread through him and he stumbled his way to the card table, exaggerating his drunken swagger.

“T’seat taken?” He slurred, dropping into the empty chair before anyone could oppose.

The man’s eyes moved from Arthur to the bottle and back to the young man’s face, giving him a predatory smile.

“Nah.” He growled. “Game’s Blackjack. You ever play, boy?”

Arthur prickled at his words, but held his tongue, taking another swig from the bottle and slamming it back onto the table.

“‘Course” He slurred, sloppily digging into his satchel and pulling a handful of coins out, scattering them onto the table.

The man huffed out a laugh and slid the chips across the table to him “Alright, kid. Let’s play.”

He picked up the deck, shuffling them deftly in his hands, Arthur made a chip dance through his fingers, waiting for the deal.

“Place your bets, gentleman.” The dealer placed the deck back onto the table. The players slid their chips onto the table, each looking around at each other as they laid out their bets.

“Bets are in, let’s get this started.”

The dealer laid out the cards, and Arthur looked down at his hand, fifteen. He groaned internally, looking over at the dealer’s showing card...a King. He glanced at the other players hands, all generally low, the highest being a seventeen.

If I bet this time they might underestimate me going forward, Hosea always bets on fifteen.

The other players made their moves, each standing below twenty and the dealer came to Arthur

“I’ll take another.” He said, the dealer flipped the card, and Arthur held his breath.

“Nineteen.” The dealer called.  
Arthur smirked and waved his hand over his cards to stand. The dealer’s eyes narrowed and he flipped his card.

“Dealer shows thirteen.” He flipped a card, “eighteen,” flipping another card, “bust.”

“Yeah, that’s how we do it.” One of the other players shouted, as Arthur looked over the other cards sitting on the table, committing them to memory as the dealer paid out the winnings.

They continued to play, Arthur making sure to keep the bottle at his side, taking long drawls from the bottle but only occasionally letting the liquid pass his lips.

He counted the cards he knew to be left in the deck, as the next hand was dealt. His eyes moved across the other players cards, all checking out against the list of remaining cards. The dealer turned down his card and Arthur’s breath caught in his chest. He looked up at the dealer, rage bubbled in his gut and his eyes burned into the dealer.

He’s cheating, but if I call it out he’ll know I was counting cards.

The hand played out, the dealer knocking out two of the other players, pulling the last of their chips across the table. The men spewed a variety of obscenities as they pushed back from the table. Arthur pretended to take another swig from his bottle, eyeing the dealer as the three remaining players put their bets down. Arthur sliding a large number of chips across the table, kicking up his act.

“Les make things more interessin’.” He slurred, knocking the chips over as he pulled his hand back, scattering them into the discard pile and pushing it over, revealing the majority of the faces. “Oh shit...” He chuckled, “...that was mighty clumsy of me.”

The dealer quickly righted the discard pile, but not before Arthur noticed the other missing face cards, his face a frown of disapproval.

“It’s fine.” He growled and picked up the cards, beginning to deal the next hand. ”Just be more careful.”

Arthur winked at him and tipped his hat clumsily.

The cards were laid out, and again another previously used card sits face up in front of the dealer. Arthur felt the warmth from the whiskey beginning to take control, merging with the anger from the dealer cheating, he frowned at the hand, ignoring his own. The dealer moved down the line of players, each staying at various numbers under twenty.

“You just gonna sit there, or you gonna play?” The dealer’s voice broke Arthur from his thoughts.

“Hit.” He growled without even looking down at his cards.

“You sure?” The dealer asked, pulling a card from the deck and holding it low above the table.

“Hit. Me.” His voice was icy as his eyes locked with the dealer. The dealer shrugged and tossed the card down in front of him.

“Twenty-one.” The dealer exclaimed, a confused look spread across his face for a flash before it was replaced with aggravation.

Arthur’s lips curled into a dangerous smile and the dealer flipped his card. The cards showing a Blackjack.

“Push.” The dealer hissed, his eyes narrowing on Arthur. Gathering the chips from the other players, he slid the cards out from in front of Arthur and dropped them onto the discard pile. Looking back up to Arthur as he picked the deck back up to deal again.

“That was some impressive luck, boy, you play cards a lot?” The dealer tossed a card in front of him, his voice dripping with poison.

“Frequently enough, I s’pose.” All traces of drunkenness disappearing from his voice and his free hand moved slowly to the revolver at his side.

“And yet you have to cheat.” His fingers snapping down the second card in front of Arthur.

“That is a big accusation, friend.” Arthur bit back and the other players shuffled uneasily, each reaching for their own weapons. The tension at the table reached its peak and Arthur clicked back the hammer of the revolver in his lap.

The dealer smirked as he sat back, waving his hands, palm up, across the table for them to continue the game. “Well, if it ain’t true, then let’s play.”

The men at the table looked between themselves, then to Arthur. The click of the hammers made him break his gaze with the dealer, glancing quickly to the side, before looking back to the table.

The cards sat there, mocking him, the dealer’s hand showing another of the cards from the discard pile. The anger bubbled over again and he slammed his fist on the table, the chips shuttering with the impact.

“Why don’t you get off your high horse, you’ve been cheatin’ all night!” He pushed up from the table. The two men beside him jumped to their feet, pulling their guns from their holsters.

The dealer pushed himself back from the table, fumbling for his own gun. “Hey now! The hell you talkin’ about?!”

“You’re giving yourself cards from the draw pile!” Arthur gestured to the discard pile with his gun. The men looked to the discard pile and back to the dealer.

“Are you serious?” One of the men growled at the dealer. “You’ve been cheating you damn bastard!” He waved his gun at the dealer who backed up further.

The saloon door swung open just as the cock of the shotgun silenced the room. Hosea stopped in the doorway, his eyes scanning the room. The bartender called out, cutting through the drone of the bar.

“Take it outside. Now.” He pointed the shotgun toward Arthur, motioning toward the back door.

Arthur glanced toward the bartender, keeping his revolver on the dealer. One of the players turned his gun on the bar and Arthur held up a hand as the man fired a round at the bartender.

Arthur spun around as the bullet smashed through a bottle behind the bar. Hosea ducked inside, pulling his pistol from the holster, his eyes locking on Arthur. The young man dove behind a support pillar as the bartender fired a blast from the shotgun toward the blackjack table.

The bar cleared out quickly as patrons made a run for the door, the dealer slipping out among the commotion.

“What the hell were you thinkin’?” Arthur shouted at the player. The bartender fired another round of buckshot toward the back of the room. He glanced around the pillar looking for the closest exit, his eyes meeting with Hosea’s in the door.

“Arthur!” Hosea shouted and waved for him to head that way.

The players returned fire on the bartender, flipping the card table and ducking behind it. Arthur looked back toward the exit, then toward the bar, the man had hid behind the bar to avoid the crossfire as he reloaded.

The shooting stopped and Arthur ducked out from behind the pillar, moving toward Hosea at the door. He waved Arthur to the door, keeping his eyes on the rest of the bar.

The men rushed into the street, the shooting starting up again in the saloon as they ran into the night.

“What the hell happened in there, Arthur?” The men ran down a side alley, stopping in the darkness.

“We were playin’ cards, and the dealer accused me of cheating!” Arthur started.

“Were you?” Hosea interrupted him.

“Just a little countin’ cards, nothing else. But that weren’t what started the shooting!”

Hosea sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Then what did start it?”

“The dealer was cheatin’ too! And when I called him out--”

“Why would you call him out?”

“He called me a cheater!” Arthur exclaimed.

“Well, you were.” Hosea said flatly.

“Yeah but so was he, and when the other players found out it got real tense. Then the bartender told us to get out, and one of the other players took that at some offense. And well, I think you saw how that ended up.” Arthur rubbed the back of his neck.

Hosea sighed and whistled for the horses. “Let’s get out of here while we can, we don’t need any more trouble.”

They mounted up and rode out of town in silence, the sounds of the gunfight fading into the night. Hosea glanced over his shoulder at Arthur, slowing the horses as they disappeared into the dark trees and the last of the burning lights of the town vanished beyond the treeline.

“You okay?” Hosea broke the silence, his voice tinged with concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Arthur answered quietly. “Though I don’t think Deadwood is the town for us.”

Hosea chuckled and shook his head in the dark. “Yeah, those hell on wheels towns are full of crooks, thieves, and degenerates.”

“Sounds like our type of people.” Arthur deadpanned.

“But not the best targets.” Hosea waved his hand. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Now, let’s find some place to camp for the night.”


End file.
